The criticism of him last season centred on defensive shortcomings. He doesn't hide from the drop-off in form.
'I have come to a different league and maybe the new challenge has woken me up,' he says. 'It was there [for everyone] to see last season that sometimes my concentration was lacking.
'I have said many times over the last 16 months that my defending needs to improve and before I came here people were questioning the move but I didn't have to think twice – it was coming to play for the perfect team [for me].
'If I play for Cholo [Diego Simeone], I know defensively I can improve.'
There is nothing like being parachuted into an alien environment to sharpen the senses. And there is no-one like Simeone to get the best out of defenders.
'In the Premier League there were times when I would be bombing forward and not really thinking about my defending,' he says. 'But here I have to think about both and Cholo makes sure of that.'
Why was the concentration missing last season? The worst thing for Trippier was not really knowing the answer to that question.
Looking out on to the main pitch of Atletico's modest training ground with its transport cafe-style canteen where the players breakfast together, he takes time over his answers when this topic is raised.
'I don't think it was anything to do with the World Cup. Sometimes you do need a break but that's not an excuse. There are injuries and there are other things that happen behind the scenes and your head is not quite there.
'You are still trying to do your best but things are not quite right and it's an awful place to be.
'Sometimes I feel that I was selfish in the sense that when I was really struggling with injuries I didn't maybe open up to the manager and say: "I'm injured". As players we don't want to lose our place.
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